The Philadelphia 76ers have faced a rough start to the NBA season, dropping their first two games. Adding to injuries sidelining Joel Embiid and Paul George, the team has also seen star guard Tyrese Maxey struggle with his shooting.
Through the two games, Maxey has hit just 16 of his 54 field-goal attempts, including four of his 21 tries from deep. Maxey addressed his shooting issues, saying, “I just gotta refocus and make some shots. Now, I’m getting some good looks honestly, some shots that I would take every single day.”
“But in layups, I don’t know,” he added. “My touch seems a little off right now. It’s okay. I’m gonna work on it. And one thing about me I think people know is I’m a pretty confident guy, and I never lose confidence.”
Maxey continued, “So as long as [Nick] Nurse keeps believing in me and my teammates keep believing in me, I’m gonna keep being aggressive and keep trying to get them open shots and myself open shots as well.”
Nick Nurse on Maxey’s shooting struggles
76ers head coach Nick Nurse also spoke on Maxey’s recent shooting issues, emphasizing that the young guard needs to keep taking his opportunities.
“I think tonight he certainly had some really good opportunities,” Nurse told reporters. “It [was] kind of a little bit like the other night. He hit some early and then you think, ‘Okay, he’s gonna really roll,’ and you’re feeling really good about his shot selection and stuff. I know there’s a couple of late shot-clock turnarounds or whatever. But most of ‘em were pretty decent opportunities. We want him to take them.”
76ers’ upcoming games
The 76ers will look to turn their season around when they face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, October 27. They’ll then return home on Wednesday, October 30, to host the Detroit Pistons, hoping to build momentum.